Instincts
by anythinglikeiwrite
Summary: A year ago, she wouldn't have dared. But a year ago wasn't characterized with drug-dealing ex-girlfriends, psychopathic criminals and a drunken mistake of a hookup. That was then, and this was now. - Inspired by 7x03


The words were still ringing in her mind. "You two are going to be partnering together."

It was a sentence she didn't expect to come from Voight after two years here. The sentence that followed was just as chilling. "Jay, you'll ride with Kim."

Despite the fact he was sitting behind her, on her desk no less, she tried to avoid him. She heard him move behind her, turning her head to find him moving to look at her. For the two seconds their eyes met, she could hear his earlier words haunt her now, "I'm going where you go." And here they were, split up while she had the luxury of keeping the new girl out of trouble. Hailey could sense his hesitation, his silent unwillingness to hand over his duty as her partner to someone so fresh out of the academy, trusting them to keep her safe.

She knew how it felt to be the outsider, hell, she knew what it felt like to be the outsider and immediately on Voight's bad side. Part of her felt for the girl, but another part, a bigger portion of her soul, was raging at the thought of not having Jay next to her in his truck, listening to his weird taste of country and rap music while teasing him.

As she watched Jay walk away out of the corner of her eye, she gave Rojas a tight smile, trying to brush off the likely heavy and weird look she and Jay just shared in front of her. If it wasn't the right time, she would have laughed at the similarities between her first day in Intelligence and Rojas'. New girl in the most sought-after of units, making waves and breaking up the longest partnership in the unit. The only difference is that she knew she and Jay were better than he and Erin were.

The moment that thought crossed her mind, she knew what she had to do. A year ago, Hailey wouldn't have dared. But a year ago wasn't characterized with drug-dealing ex-girlfriends, psychopathic criminals and a drunken mistake of a hookup. That was then, and this was now.

There was nothing in her brain as her body walked the short distance to his office, shutting the door behind her to leave everyone out of the conversation that was about to happen.

"Sarge, what just happened?" The words were out of her mouth before Voight registered the door closing and Hailey speaking.

"It takes a lot of time and trust to build a partnership that works, and Jay and I are working."

That wasn't the only reason behind her rash decision to confront her boss, but it was the one she was going with.

"I know," he answered, crossing his arms to look at her. His answer caught her off guard, but she wouldn't let him know that.

"Then why split us up?" The question was killing her now. Voight's agreement that they were solid had her questioning his decision more.

"Because I need to evaluate Rojas and I know you'll shoot me straight," he said, and Hailey couldn't disagree with his logic. While her loyalty lied with Jay first and foremost, their boss was a close second, and Rojas currently had none. This team needed people that can work with their dynamic, and after the year they had, they needed loyalty and stability more than ever.

"Look, there are a lot of red flags," he continued. "We don't need anybody out there playing hero ball."

"Sounds like you have your answer," she interjected.

"Yeah, well, I talked to my guys over at the academy and Rojas checked every box. Top gun, high scores – I mean, she killed it. And she's got street you can't teach."

Hailey sensed a "but" coming, and she herself wouldn't argue that without the ability to play with a team, stats and accuracy don't mean a thing.

"But," she said anyways.

"All of those accomplishments are individual," Voight explained, confirming her thoughts for her. "We gotta know she can work with this team."

Not a team, she thought. This team, this same team she learned quickly was different from Robbery-Homicide or any other unit in this city, because they worked closely and trusted each other no matter what. Trust meant everything in Intelligence.

Hearing Voight's reasoning out loud lessened the blow at hearing her and Jay were split up. Even while she was still mad at him, she understood his thought process. They had to know whether Rojas could handle their case load and the off the book and sometimes unconventional things they did. And they needed to know now before it got someone killed.

"You ever wonder why you and Halstead are the only detectives to join this unit?"

His question caught Hailey off guard. She never thought about it, but hearing it, it made her actually think about where he was going with this. From what she knew, through rumors but mostly Jay's recollection, Intelligence began with Al, Antonio, Erin and a woman she never met. All of them were detectives, hand-picked by Voight. While people came and went, she and Jay were the only two detectives who joined the unit and stayed.

"Everybody else came in raw," he continued, not waiting for her to say anything. "It's always better to find the right person, before they learn the wrong habits. You understand?"

Hailey nodded then, because she did understand now. Unless you questioned Voight, you may never know why he does the things he does. But it was her responsibility to Jay and their partnership to make sure this isn't a long-term thing.

"Sarge," she said, "I just want to know if this will be a permanent thing."

Voight looked at her, and she couldn't tell if he was trying to make her sweat, or if he actually hadn't thought about it.

"Jay and I," she began, unsure of how much of her hand she wanted to show him. "We protect each other. I know his triggers, he knows mine, and as much as I trust Kim, or anyone else in this unit, I don't trust them to protect Jay from himself. And I know he would say the same."

That was all he needed to know. He didn't need to know that she would miss him picking her up on the way to a crime scene, always with coffee and something to eat ready for her. Or that they had become regulars at each other's places, and on each other's couches. Or that if Hailey did sleep over, Jay always gave her his bed and he took the couch. He especially didn't need to know that she's laid beside him when his demons threatened to take over, rubbing his back or running her fingers through his hair to get him to sleep, just as his mom did when he was little. They did more for each other than anyone would ever know, and it's taken a lot for them to reach this point.

"You give me an answer on Rojas, you're back with Halstead the next day."

They didn't say anything else, a mutual understanding between them that this wasn't a permanent thing, but Hailey knew Voight understood what they did for each other, even if he and the team wasn't privy to most of it. She left without saying another word, heading to fetch her new recruit.

"Ready?" Rojas asked as she stepped out of Voight's office. Hailey smiled at her again, trying to let her know that things were okay, that it had nothing to do with her.

"Let's roll," Hailey answered, grabbing her car keys for once. As she made her way downstairs, Rojas following behind, she felt her phone vibrate. She was a little confused considering it was her work phone, not her cell, and only the team and her family had her work number.

She was glad Rojas was behind her and couldn't see the smile that crossed her face, reading the text from Jay.

"_You okay? You stormed in there pretty fast."_

He had seen her walk in, something that she appreciated more than she expected. She stopped by the driver's side door, replying quickly so he could stop worrying and do his job.

"_Everything is fine. It's only temporary. We'll be back before you know it."_

* * *

"Hey," Jay said, walking towards her. "Wanna come talk to the roommate with me?"

Hailey had never felt so elated when Jay walked over to her, even for something as menial as interviewing the roommate. While she was responsible for Rojas, the rest of the team was there. They could cut her some slack.

"Just don't scare her," she shot back, needing someone to be sarcastic with.

"How could anyone be scared of this face?" Jay said, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Keep walking," she said, shoving him forward. They met the paramedic looking over the roommate whose name they didn't know yet.

"I'm Detective Upton," Hailey began, motioning to Jay beside her. "This is my partner, Detective Halstead. What's your name?"

"Karla" she answered.

"Do you mind showing us Ruby's room?" Hailey asked. Karla just nodded, standing up with the detectives following her inside. She caught the look Jay gave her, knowing he was referring to her calling him "my partner". She just smirked at him, knowing now was not the time for witty comebacks.

"It's horrible. I just can't believe it," Karla said, walking into a bedroom. "This is Ruby's room. Was..oh my god."

"How long have you lived with Ruby?" she heard Jay ask, taking another look around the room. For a girl that was allegedly a drug mule and was just murdered, everything looked normal.

"Umm…we've been roommates for about a year."

"And no one came to the door?" he continued. "You didn't see her leave with anyone?"

She took a glance at Jay, almost having to remind herself that he was actually here, being her partner once again. The shakeup earlier kept telling her that this partnership could easily be taken away, by Voight or anyone else, but she would still fight for it every time.

"Uhh, I haven't seen her since yesterday," Karla said.

"She involved with anyone?" she asked, snapping herself back to the present. "A boyfriend or a guy you saw her with?"

"No…no, she didn't have a boyfriend."

"Anyone shady in her life? Someone who could have threatened her?" Hailey asked. This whole case was getting weird, but they weren't about to lay it all out for this girl who just witnessed something traumatic.

"Not that I know of," Karla answered.

Hailey shot a look at Jay, one he caught since he had been looking at her when she started questioning. Part of her wasn't buying it, and she wanted Jay to take the reins again.

"How did you meet Ruby?" he asked, turning to look back at Karla.

"At Pescado," she answered, turning to look at Jay while wiping tears from her face. "She worked there. We just kind of hit it off."

The girl seemed to be genuinely shook up, but now knowing that she worked with Ruby, the connection was interesting.

"We talked about how we wanted to live in Lincoln Park, but it was way too expensive, so, we put all of our money together and we moved in here."

Hailey felt for the girl, even as her instinct told her there was something more to it.

"We we're living the life," Karla said softly, staring off into a corner of Ruby's room. "That's what we would always say."

Her words hit something in Hailey, but for a different reason. In her mind, she was living the life: great job, solid partnership, Jay. It didn't bother her that Jay was his own category, because he was a different part of her life that didn't fall into anything else. Her and Jay's partnerships was a work thing, but that could be it. Their role in each other's life could have been left at the door to the district. Instead, their friendship was easily one of the best things in her life, and she would protect it, and him, at all costs.

* * *

Hailey heard him before she saw him. Two years of being together nearly every day made her attuned to everything about him. Seconds later, she saw him walk past her and into the locker room.

"Hey," he said. "Did you miss me?"

Hailey laughed. Leave it to Jay to poke fun at her for them being split up. She rolled her eyes, closing her locked and grabbing her bag, walking towards him. Her bag dropped by his feet, causing him to let out what she knew was a fake "ow" and she sat down on the bench beside him.

"If you mean your bad taste in music, then sure."

"Don't lie, you like my music," he said, throwing her a smile she's learned were just for her. "How's Rojas doing?"

Hailey shook her head, causing Jay to look confused. She didn't want to talk about it here, not when anyone could walk in. Jay seemed to get what she meant, moving silently to close both doors that led inside the room. He walked back over, leaning against the blue lockers.

"So?" he asked. Hailey shook her head, her hands resting in her lap.

"Voight has me evaluating her," she answered. "Wants to see if she can work with the team."

"Can't say I blame him," Jay mumbled. "With everything he's been through, we've been through, he's got reason to be wary."

Hailey nodded, knowing Jay was mostly talking about stuff that happened before her time. Despite how much she and Jay talked, there was still a lot she was in the gray area about with Intelligence's past, and part of her preferred it that way.

"What do you think?" she asked Jay. She wasn't giving Voight her thoughts on Rojas without Jay to back her up. It was just how she worked, now that she had a partner that cared about her the way Jay did.

"Honestly," Jay said, sighing deeply. "I think she's got potential, but she's still too green. She's reckless, and that'll cause her bite her in the ass sooner rather than later."

Jay paused, and Hailey could see he was debating something in his mind. She had an idea about what he was thinking but wanted him to bring it up.

"She reminds me of Erin, if we're being honest, but not as reckless, if that's possible."

"I thought the same thing," she told him, meeting his eyes. "Just wanted to hear it from you."

"She can learn a lot, if she's willing to be a team player," he said.

When they first started working, any talk of Erin would have him shutting down, but now, he moved on like she was just a former member, nothing more. Hailey was proud of him, because in that first year, there were a lot of times when she wanted nothing more than to fly to New York and punch Erin for all the ways she messed with Jay's head, and his heart.

"The only thing that could be an issue is that she did come straight from the academy," Jay said. "Last time that happened, it was Ruzek, and to be honest again, despite how long he's been here, it puts him at a disadvantage."

"Can't argue with that," she countered. "You learn more on patrol than they could ever teach you in the academy."

"Exactly," Jay said. They sat in silence a beat longer before Jay's voice broke through.

"Hails," he said, trying to get her to look at him. "Is there anything else?"

She sighed, contemplating her next words. Originally, she wasn't going to say anything, but they didn't keep anything from each other, especially about work. They made that mistake too many times.

"I asked him if it was going to be permanent," she said, looking back up at him. "Me and Rojas, you and Kim."

"And?"

"I told him that we protect each other, we know each others triggers," she began, reciting her words to Voight back to him. "I also told him that while I trust everyone in this unit, I don't trust them to protect you from yourself. And you would say the same about me."

"You're absolutely right," he said instantly. She watched as he pushed himself off the locker, moving to crouch in front of her. "You're the only one I trust with everything, and I know that goes both ways."

Hailey just nodded, not trusting herself now to use words with how emotional she was inside.

"We follow each other blind," he told her, repeating her own words back to her. "Every time."

Hailey nodded again. She didn't expect this to turn into such a heavy conversation, but she was glad they had it.

"After I give my evaluation," she told him. "You're stuck with me again."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

"Looks like we're a go," they heard Adam say. Once again, she got to be back with Jay, this time, back with him in his truck. She didn't realize how much she missed riding shotgun with him until she was driving with Rojas beside her.

"I hope this works," she mumbled, taking a sip of her coffee.

"You and me both," Jay said, looking out to watch for anything suspicious.

They listened to Adam trying, but failing, to make it work with Alexa. Hailey felt that this deal was going downhill fast, and they were going to have to look for another angle.

"This isn't working," she told Jay, voicing her thoughts to him.

"Either Alexa is a good actress, or she actually had zero idea who she was buying from," Jay said, moving to pick up her coffee.

"Hey!" Hailey yelled at him. "That's mine."

"I'm all out!" he shot back.

"Not my fault. Hot date keep you up last night?" she teased, even though she hoped the answer was no.

"If you want to count my pain in the ass brother," he mumbled, showing his dislike for whatever was going on with Will.

"Another story for another day," she told him, listening to Rojas tell Adam that this deal wasn't happening. Nothing the two were saying was enough to peak Hailey's interest, expect the part about only hiring women. She filed that away for use later if they needed it.

"I've got an angle," Rojas said. "Grab me."

Hailey shot up, her back stiff as she processed what Rojas was saying. She heard Ruzek question her, before the girl repeated herself.

"Grab me – make it seem like we're in a fight," she told him.

She felt Jay's hand brush against hers as he listened in.

"What is she talking about?" she asked Jay, the question being rhetorical towards him, but serious in general.

This was the recklessness she was worried about, the instinct taking over. Hailey threw her head back in frustration, smacking the head rest in the truck.

"Ugh!" she groaned out, fighting the urge to run in and pull them.

"Let's just wait," Jay said, his hand resting on her arm to ground her. Sometimes it helped, but today was not one of those days. She heard Ruzek play along, before hearing Alexa yelling at them and for them to get out.

"Ugh," she grumbled again, pulling off the headphones she was wearing. "This is what will get someone killed. I told her to follow Adam, not to do anything stupid and she does this!"

"Hey," Jay said, lightly squeezing her arm that he still hadn't let go of. "Let's just head back, see what she was thinking."

"She wasn't" she said, not trying to hide it from Jay.

"Hailey," he said, his voice firm. Rarely was he ever this way with her, but it brought her back down. "We're gonna head back, hear her out. Then we can go from there."

The only thing that got through to her was his use of we. Even while they were split, they still acted and thought like partners. Even while Voight would think that her evaluation was her own thoughts and observations, she wasn't going in there without Jay's opinion and stamp of approval.

"Okay," she said softly, turning back to face him. "Thanks."

"Anytime, Hails."

* * *

"Thanks so much," she said into her phone, leaning back in her chair once she hung up. The sigh she let out was likely pent up since yesterday when this all started. This case was over, which meant tomorrow she would be back with Jay. As for Rojas, her fate was still in the air.

Looking at Voight's office, the light on told her he was still here. It was now or never she told herself, and with that repeating in her head, she walked to her boss's office, the déjà vu from yesterday hitting her.

"I just heard from the crime lab," she said as she walked in. "They dismantled the knife Karla used to kill Alexa and they found Ruby's DNA in the hilt."

"All right, good, so that case is closed," Voight said, before motioning to the chair in front of his desk. "Now, I need to know your assessment of Rojas."

She took a seat, her mind racing with everything she's seen and heard along with Jay's own thoughts. She texted him earlier, wanting his own evaluation, regardless of how she felt. The weight of the conversation that was about to happen hit her then, trying to avoid looking at her boss before sighing once more.

"She went off book twice," she began. "Her instincts were right, but one day they won't be. You live by your instincts, eventually you die by them."

"Or someone else does," Voight interjected.

"Exactly," Hailey said, the word coming out mumbled despite how strongly she knew Voight's statement to be true.

"So, it's a no?" he asked. Until then, she thought she would agree with that, that Rojas wasn't the right fit for Intelligence. But then she remembered what Jay texted her. _If anyone can handle this unit, she can. And she would have some of the best cops to learn from, yourself included. _

Hailey looked back at Voight before shaking her head. "Just the opposite."

"Oh?" he asked.

"If anyone can handle this unit, she can," she told him, repeating Jay's own words. He was the best judge of character there was, and if he thought she could do this, then so did she. Thinking about it now, she always thought Rojas could do the job, it would just take some time to mold her into the cop Intelligence needed her to be. And Hailey could see she was eager to learn all she could.

"She reminds me of me, when I first came into this unit," she told him, surprised at her admission. He leaned back in his chair, subtly telling her to continue.

"I was in her shoes not long ago. Came in, sure of myself and my abilities, and ruffled a lot of feathers, yours included," she said. "Broke up what I thought was the strongest partnership there was in Intelligence. But, I'm still here, because I knew this was the best gig in the CPD and I would work my ass off to earn my place. And she will too."

There was silence between them as Voight looked at her. For a second, she was worried she overstepped, reminding her boss of what he did back then to Jay and Erin, and what he did yesterday to her and Jay. But, as she kept telling herself, the only opinion that mattered to her was Jay's and he told her himself that what they had was nothing compared to him and Erin's partnership.

"Okay," Voight said after a while. "Go tell her."

She didn't need to be told what he meant, she just smiled and stood, heading towards the door.

"Thanks, Sarge," she said. She almost crossed the threshold before she heard her name.

"And Hailey," he said, causing her to turn back around. "You were right about one thing, when you came into Intelligence."

"What's that?"

"Jay and Erin weren't the strongest partnership, like you thought. You and Jay are, and I'm lucky to have you both."

Jay told her once, early on, that praise from Voight was hard to come by, and if you got anything, he really meant it. To hear that he actually thought she and Jay were the best in Intelligence, well that did a lot for her self-confidence, and she could hear Jay's ego inflating a little bit more.

"Thanks," she said, smiling one last time before grabbing her jacket and heading to find Vanessa.

* * *

Hailey heard the water running from the locker room, silently hoping Vanessa was still here. She peaked through the door way and saw the younger cop washing her face, but her eyes focused on the clear cigarette burn just above her shoulder blade.

"So, you really did get burnt with a cigarette?" she asked, startling Vanessa as she looked in the mirror to see who was behind her. Hailey tried to keep a stoic face, not wanting to give away all her tells to the girl.

"Something like that," she replied, shaking her hands to get rid of the excess water. Hailey nodded slightly, not that Vanessa could see her as she dried her face with a paper towel.

"You know," Vanessa began. "Platt said they couldn't give me a locker, said there were some issues. Pretty sure that's not a good sign."

While she admired her eagerness, Hailey knew she had to give it to her straight first. Hailey had to learn her own way into Intelligence and wished Erin had been better at helping her navigate this unit. The difference there was Hailey took the gig as a temporary thing, unsure of what would happen when Kim returned. But then Erin left, and her spot became permanent. But with Vanessa, she was looking at a permanent detail to Intelligence, if she could handle it.

She nodded again, motioning to the other bench where she sat just yesterday while she was here with Jay. Vanessa obliged, Hailey following as she sat across from her.

"Look, Vanessa," she began. "The way they jammed you into Intelligence, they didn't do you any favors."

She saw the hope dim in the younger woman's eyes, part of her sad that she was the one doing that but knowing it would build her up.

"I was also in deep undercover," Hailey continued. "Transition's a bitch. You live by your lights, your instincts because that's how you survive."

Hailey saw Vanessa hanging onto her every word, which helped reassure her in her decision to give Voight the go ahead. She knew she would help her in whatever was she could to be the kind of cop this unit needed, even if she was the one training her.

"But here?" she said. "It's a different game. It's about teamwork and trust, and it takes time."

She watched Vanessa nod, understanding setting in on just how Intelligence worked, and how they operated within the CPD, regardless of what their methods were. Hailey didn't understand it at first, but once she was in, it clicked. That was how they worked, how they managed to stay off the radar of the Ivory Tower because regardless of how Voight got things done or the off-book approaches they took, they got results. But it wouldn't be possible if they didn't all trust each other every single second they were on the job.

"I get it," Vanessa said after a beat. Hailey sat up a bit, ready to hear whatever she was going to say. She saw the defeat, but she could tell this would fuel her to be, in her mind, worthy of being in Intelligence one day herself.

"Thank you," she finished. "I hope we can stay in touch, if that's cool."

She gave her the opening, and Hailey had to fight a smile.

"Yeah, we'll keep in touch," she told her. "We're gonna be working together."

"What are you talking about?" Vanessa asked, confusion spreading across her features.

"You're in," Hailey explained.

"I'm in?" she asked, disbelief in her tone as she processed her words.

"Yeah, Voight just signed off on you," Hailey said, smiling softly at the woman across from her. She watched go through all the emotions: relief, excitement, happiness, and she was glad she was able to give that to her after the rocky start she had.

"We just have one final hurdle," she said, bringing her back down. "Platt says you didn't fill out your address."

"No, I'll do that," Vanessa told her, stumbling over her words. It didn't take a detective for Hailey to understand what she wasn't saying, and glancing over at her bag on the floor, she nodded, understanding what was going on.

"You don't have an address, do you?"

"Not yet," Vanessa whispered, embarrassment seeping through the other emotions Hailey had seen. "They pulled me out of my undercover apartment. I just haven't had time to look for a new place."

Hailey smiled in understanding, despite having to break it to this girl the hard truth about Intelligence no one seemed to understand. But her mind was already made up about what she was going to say next, a recurring theme the past few days.

"Honestly, with this job, you're not gonna have any free time anytime soon," she explained, not hiding any smiles from this girl anymore. "So, why don't you stay with me?"

"You mean that?"

"Yeah, we'll work it out," she told her. "Let's go."

She stood then, watching Vanessa pick up her life, all crammed into a duffle, but she knew she was doing the right thing. This girl had the potential to be a great cop, maybe better than herself, and she was going to help get her there, whatever it took.

* * *

"Thanks again," Vanessa said as they headed to her car.

"No problem," Hailey replied. "Like I said, it's a tough transition. I've been where you are."

She watched as Vanessa just nodded, opening the back door to put her bag in while Hailey started the car, knowing it wouldn't be long until she sat here shivering and cursing her car to heat up faster. She plugged her personal phone in, seeing a few messages from Jay while making a reminder to text him back when they got home. The car was quiet as she drove the familiar route home, but Hailey could feel Vanessa wanting to ask something.

"I won't bite your head off," Hailey said, keeping her eyes focused ahead. She saw Vanessa jump a bit, not realizing she caught her.

"Sorry," she apologized. "I just didn't expect…" she began before trailing off, suddenly not wanting to finish her sentence.

"Didn't expect me to offer you a place to stay?" Hailey finished. She could see Vanessa nod out of the corner of her eye.

"It doesn't take a badge to figure out I ruffled a lot of feathers today," she explained. "Sergeant Platt, Voight, Detective Halstead…"

"Jay?" Hailey asked, catching her partner's name in that mix. "What about Jay?"

Hailey figured she may seem defensive about Jay, but better for Vanessa to know now rather than later. She would always be that way, and likely would until the day they died.

"Earlier, when Voight said I was riding with you. I saw that look Detective Halstead gave you, and then you walk into Voight's office. If I caused a problem, I'm sorry."

Hailey sighed, unsure of where to take this. This girl was still new, despite feeling the need to look out for her.

"It's nothing against you," she said calmly. "Jay and I have been partners for two years now, and we've been through a lot."

If this was going to work for them both, she needed to get this out.

"This unit needs stability if we want to work as well as we do. In the moment, I just didn't agree with Voight's decision to split Jay and I up. But you can learn a lot from everyone in this unit. Don't screw it up and you'll be set for your career."

"Copy that," Vanessa said softly. "Can I ask you something?" Hailey just nodded.

"Is there something between you and Detective Halstead?"

The question was likely innocent in Vanessa's mind, but to Hailey, it may as well have been the question of the century. The short answer was yes, but the actual answer was much more complicated and she herself didn't know where they stood.

A lot had changed since they first met. People came and people left, but Jay never did. Even the few months when she threatened him with finding a new partner, she knew deep down she wouldn't follow through on that. She could see back then that Jay was still used to Erin's ways with him, but the former Army background told her he needed a push every once in a while, something Erin rarely did.

Since everything with Adam and Antonio, and then Kelton, they made one rule moving forward: no secrets. Their unit may operate on secrecy at times, but they certainly wouldn't. The only thing she was hush about now was her growing feelings for him as more than a partner. If she was honest, they weren't growing anymore, they were there, bordering on the L-word, because she had already fallen. He just needed to step it up, realize she wasn't going to bolt like Erin did.

"We're partners," she concluded finally. "We've just been through, and nothing against you, or anyone else, but he's the only one I will blindly trust."

"Got it," Vanessa said.

"Although," she began, causing Hailey to side eye her. "I wouldn't blame you."

Hailey let out a small laugh, Vanessa's sentence not needing any other explanation, and she wasn't about to add fuel to the fire. Luckily, her house was the next left, and she had never been so glad to live close to the district.

"Here we are," she said, pulling in front. "I'll give you the run down tomorrow. I'm sure you want a shower and to sleep."

"Definitely," Vanessa answered, following Hailey's lead and stepping out of the car.

The walk to the front door was short, Hailey punching in the code to unlock her door.

"Help yourself to whatever is in the kitchen," she explained. "I was honestly going to reheat pizza for dinner, but if you see anything that looks appealing, go for it. Or we can order something if you think you up for it."

"I was gonna offer to order pizza," Vanessa jumped in. "It's not much, but consider it a thank you, to start."

Hailey could see it would be pointless to argue with this girl, so she just nodded, pointing to a drawer on the island.

"Should be a menu in there, assuming Jay put it back," she said, cursing herself for that little slip up. "The place is a few streets away, but they know my address so it's always quick. I'm gonna jump in the shower. Guest bedroom and bath are down that hall, mine is upstairs if you need anything."

"Thanks again," Vanessa said, and something told Hailey this wouldn't be the last time she thanked her. "I've never really had anyone that's looked out for me like this."

Hailey smiled. "Well now you're got me. You're welcome for as long as you like."

* * *

As she finally crawled into bed, she felt every muscle relax at the relief. Today was more than she expected, and she certainly didn't think when she left for work that she would have a roommate. And she definitely wouldn't lie and say her first thought after offering Vanessa a place to stay was that she would likely be spending more time at Jay's.

Speaking of, she thought to herself, she grabbed her phone, finding more messages that earlier from her partner. Not bothering to read any of them, she found his contact, immediately calling him.

"Hey," he answered after two rings. "I was about to send out a search party."

"Even if you did, I could have avoided them. I'm a cop you know."

"Really? I always wondered what my partner really got up to," he shot back, laughing at his own joke while she rolled her eyes.

"How did it go?" he asked, the teasing in his voice gone.

"Good, I thought," she replied. "Voight signed off on her."

"So, she got the Hailey Upton seal of approval?" he teased. It was a running joke with them, since she was always picky about her food, favorite restauraunts, coffee and beer. Eventually, when she found something she liked, Jay would always say just that.

"Actually, she got your seal of approval," she told him, settling back into her pillows.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I told Voight exactly what you told me. If anyone can handle this unit, she can."

"And he agreed with me?"

"He always does, whether you know it or not. He values your opinion as much as I do, but not as much as me."

The sat for a second, just listening to each other breathing. After everything that happened with Brennan, he still questioned Voight's trust in him, which is why she was about to tell him what he told her.

"You know," she began. "I told him she reminded me of me. And the past two days, all I've thought is how similar my coming into Intelligence was to hers, ruffling feathers, breaking up a partnership. I've been where she is."

"I never thought about that," Jay said. "And look where we are now."

Hailey smiled softly, the kind she only saved for Jay, even while he couldn't see her.

"And you know what Voight told me?"

"What's that?" Jay asked.

"You and Erin weren't the strongest partnership Intelligence had. You and I are, and that he's lucky to have us."

Jay went silent, absorbing the information Hailey dropped on him. Even while he didn't voice it, he always liked the validation from Voight. She knows he's battled a lot within the unit, and there were days when he waited for the other shoe to drop, to get that notice he was being transferred out. But Hailey always knew that there would never be a time when Voight lost all respect for Jay.

"He was wrong about one thing," he said after a while.

"What's that?" she asked.

"I'm the lucky one."

* * *

**Hi friends! I forgot I had this idea last week, but wanted to get it up before the crossover! This was definitely something new, but if you want to see more stories like this, let me know! I'm hoping to get the next chapters of _Moments in Time _and _We'll Pick Up Where We Left Off_ up very soon, so i'll give you a hint for each (but I'm not telling which story they're from) : flashbacks and puppies. **


End file.
